Gyroscopes may be used in a wide range of applications, including guidance of aircraft, spacecraft, missiles, and the like. A gyroscope (or “gyro”) measures an angular rate, i.e., the rate at which the gyroscope rotates, about one or more axes. The output of a gyroscope may be a digital data stream. The rate resolution of the gyro, i.e., the ability of the gyro to detect low angular rates or small changes in angular rate, may be limited in part by the resolution (i.e., the number of bits) and scale factor of an analog to digital converter (ADC) that may be part of a signal chain connecting a physical sensing element to a digital output of the gyro. The range of the gyro, i.e., the maximum angular rate that it is capable of measuring, may also be related to the resolution and the scale factor of the ADC. As such, a gyro designed to operate at high angular rates may have relatively poor resolution, and a high-resolution gyro may have relatively limited range. Some applications, however, may require a gyro having both high range, e.g., in aircraft or missiles designed to be highly maneuverable, and fine resolution, to provide accurate guidance.
Thus, there is a need for a gyro with high dynamic range, i.e., with high rate resolution and high range.